Kevin O’Leary, best known for his role as “Mr. Wonderful” on the hit TV show Shark Tank, is a Canadian businessman, author, and politician. But his career in business didn’t start with television fame. O’Leary graduated from the University of Waterloo with a degree in environmental studies and then went on to receive an MBA from the prestigious University of Western Ontario. After working for several companies in various roles, O’Leary co-founded SoftKey Software Products Inc. in 1986, which went on to become one of the biggest successes in the educational software industry.

But it wasn’t until 2006 that O’Leary’s career took a turn towards television. He joined the cast of the CBC show Dragons’ Den, a business-themed reality show similar to Shark Tank, as a venture capitalist. His blunt and cutthroat approach to investing quickly caught the attention of viewers and made him a fan favorite. This led to his starring role on Shark Tank, which premiered in 2009 and has since become a hit around the world. O’Leary’s success on both shows has made him a household name and allowed him to expand his interests into other areas, including writing best-selling books and even briefly considering a run for Canadian Prime Minister in 2017.